1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a method and system for generating graphics in a computer system. More particularly, the present invention relates to generating an animatable object such that a user can generate and animate the object easily and effectively.
2. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With the explosive growth and popularity of computer games and Internet interaction, the use of images, especially images of objects such as animated characters, are becoming more prominent. Animated characters are commonly used in computer games to represent either the player or other various components of the game. Likewise, there are also numerous potential uses of an animatable character for use with Internet interaction. For example, an animated character could represent a user in a chat room on the Internet to provide more interactivity than conventional chat rooms. Another example is a community xe2x80x9croomxe2x80x9d where a character, used as a visual representation of a user, can roam and explore various parts of the community xe2x80x9croomxe2x80x9d.
Typically, these objects, such as animatable characters, are laboriously created by a computer programmer through the use of codes which are typically too complex for the average user to utilize. Characters are often crafted by an artist and entered into a computer. Accordingly, these animatable objects and characters are typically predetermined and is normally not easily customized by the user. Additionally, conventional character generation and animation methods typically do not facilitate approximate real-time customized interaction with a predetermined environment or between two customized animatable characters. For instance, using conventional methods, it would be extremely difficult and expensive for each game player to use a customized animatable character in a real-time game. Conventional animation methods typically utilize a series of static images with very minor changes to simulate motion. Using this conventional technique, it would be extremely difficult and costly to generate a series of static images immediately after a motion command is received such that approximate real-time game playing is feasible. Alternatively, a predetermined sequence of motions can be pre-programmed. However, motions pre-programmed by a programmer are highly labor intensive and could severely limit motion and reaction by the animated object. Likewise, similar problems occur in Internet interaction between animatable characters under the control of users.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for quickly and effectively generating a customized animatable character in a computer system. The present invention addresses such a need.
The present invention provides a system and method for generating an animatable object in a computer system. The generation of the animatable object is simple and effective enough to allow a user to generate a customized object such as an animatable character which resembles the user. Additionally, once the animatable object is generated, information regarding the generation of the object can be sent to another computer, for example, it can be transmitted through a network such as the Internet. Once the object has been generated at the receiving computer, only data regarding the motions of the generated object need be sent to the receiving computer in order to animate the object.
A skeleton of the desired character is constructed by the user utilizing various predetermined components. Alternatively, a generalized pre-constructed skeleton constructed from the predetermined components can be made available for the user. These predetermined components include a various selection of rods and joints. The rods are rigid components which remain rigid during motion, while the various joints are moveable components. A static digitized image, for example, an image of the user, is utilized and the constructed skeleton is superimposed onto it. The desired object, such as the image of the user, can then be extracted from the background of the digital image, superimposed onto the skeleton, and the resulting personal character can then be animated, for instance by selecting and dragging one of the hands with a mouse.
A system and method according to the present invention for generating an animatable object in a computer system comprises the steps of constructing a skeleton of a predetermined object; and superimposing the skeleton with a digital image, wherein the digital image includes the predetermined object.